“Baby It’s Hot Outside” – Christmas In July

Christmas Display at The Shoppes At Roper Mansion, Dandridge, TN - Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

Christmas Display at The Shoppes At Roper Mansion, Dandridge, TN – Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

As the thermometer reaches into the red, Christmas enthusiasts are immersing themselves in the Holidays. Though it is still five months until Christmas, Christmas in July is in full swing. For many, July signals the time to begin planning for the Holiday season. Christmas movies fill the schedule lineups on television, and retail stores offer everything, from the newest Holiday decorations to the season’s hot toys, for the early bird shopper. While Christmas in July is considered a retail Holiday by many, the origins are thought to go back to the 1940s, and are linked to a movie titled Christmas in July.

Beyond the first look at retail Holiday must haves, communities across the Nation are celebrating Christmas in July with festivals and events. It also offers a quirky theme for charitable organizations to promote hot weather fund raisers, such as marathons.  Interestingly, despite the push by retailers to move up the Christmas season, a recent survey indicates that only around 8% of those surveyed will have their Christmas shopping completed before Thanksgiving and almost 20% will still be shopping on December 23rd.  Christmas in July participants cite an ease of gathering family together outside of the event-packed traditional Holiday season, a desire to escape the dog days of summer, and a love for Christmas as their top reasons for embracing the hot weather celebration.

Source: K. Depew, News Director